Worth noting

• Outfielder Carlos Beltran did not start for the Cardinals on Sunday, though Matheny confirmed that the day off was not prompted by any injury issue.

"He's just tired," Matheny said. "I think everybody is. It's been a pretty crazy run here. He's just the honest one."

• Bench coach Mike Aldrete, who has been out since Thursday after returning home for a child's graduation, is scheduled to return to St. Louis on Sunday. He will be back in the dugout for Monday's series opener against Arizona. First-base coach Chris Maloney has been serving as bench coach in Aldrete's place. Assistant hitting coach Bengie Molina has filled in as first-base coach.

• With Beltran out of the lineup, catcher Yadier Molina shifted back up to hit in the two-hole on Sunday. It marked the third time in his last five starts that Molina has started and batted second. Before this season, he had done so only twice.

• Asked about the possibility of keeping six starters on the roster once Jake Westbrook (right elbow inflammation) returns from the disabled list, Matheny said the organization has not "gone there yet" in its preparation for Westbrook's return. Keeping six starters would give the Cardinals a way to monitor the workload of its rookie starters.

"That stuff seems to sort itself out," Matheny said. "I don't think anything is out of the question, but that stuff works itself out more so than anything else."